(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel construction for an antenna system used with submarines. More particularly, the invention relates to a multifunction submarine mast antenna system where each individual antenna within the system is quickly and easily replaced by the same or a dissimilar antenna.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Communications among submarine fleets are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. As new communication requirements have been added, new antenna systems have been developed from scratch to accommodate the hardware associated with emerging technologies. New antenna systems must be integrated with existing equipment on board the submarine and environmentally tested.
Replacing a single antenna element in a mast antenna system is a tedious and time consuming task which requires great skill. Even if installed correctly, a new component in a mast antenna system may interact differently with the rest of the components in the system and adversely affect overall performance. Connector changes, wire movement, human error or any other factor may also affect overall performance of the antenna system. Repairing an improper replacement of parts to restore proper performance is costly in terms of time and money. Thus, some mast antenna systems are cumbersome and undesirable in that they require extensive hardware design for even simple modifications.
In some antenna systems, antenna modules of a fixed type are used, however, one may only replace such modules with the same type of module. For example, a UHF antenna may be replaced only by another UHF antenna. This is not desirable when different antennas are needed, when a change in the configuration of the antenna system is desired, or when more sophisticated antennas replace the need for existing ones.
In yet other antenna systems, once the antenna modules are developed and installed, the inner mast structure must remain fixed until a hardware redesign is performed. Such prior antennas are replete with shortcomings that detract from their usefulness for uses as herein contemplated.